Sheet glass apparatus



May 24, 1932- F. J. KINCAID 1,860,100

SHEET GLASS APPARATUS Filed Nov 15, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l l a I a '6 @l J INVENTOR fir/(mama! ATTORN EY y 1932- F. J KINCAID 1,860,100

SHEET GLASS APPARATUS Filed Nov. 15, 1930 2 Shee ts-Sheet 2 llli I N v: Q s g m n Xr\ Q z W R B u P 115327; BY MjM ATTORN EY Patented May 24, 1932 UNITED sr Ts FRANK KINCAID, OF CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINTA, ASSIGN'OR TO LIBBEY-OWENS- FORD GLASS GQIVIPANY, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, ACORPORATION OF OHIO SHEET GLASS arre m'rns Application filed November 15, ,193of sem No. 495,810."

The present invention relates to apparatus for producing sheet glass. p

In the well-known system for drawing sheet glass as exemplified in the patent to Colburn, No. 1,248,809, granted December 4',

1917, the bending roll'about which the sheet is deflected from the vertical into the hor zontal is ordinarily mounted to rotate freely with the sheet and is driven thereby so that it will move at the same speed as the draw of the sheet to prevent relative movement therebetween. Due to various reasons, however, the even and uniform rotation of the bendingroll is sometimes prevented, as a consequence of which thesaid roll may rotate in a rather jerky or uneven fashion. When this temporary retarding of the bending roll occurs, a relative movement between the sheet and roll ishad which is an undesirable condition since it tends to injuriously aflect the thickness and flatness of the sheet produced. As an example, one of the reasons or factors which may tend to prevent free rotation of the bending roll is the bindlng of the said roll in its supporting bearings.

The principle aim and :object of th1s 1nvention is to over-come the above ob ect1onable features by the provision of means associated with the bending roll which will atall times insure the free, even anduniform rotation thereof. 1

Another object of the invention is'the provision of braking means associated with the bending roll in a manner to apply a constant braking or retarding force thereto, as a result of which the rotation of the roll will remain steady and uniform.

Other objects and advantages of themvention will become more apparent during the course of the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. I 1

In the drawings forming a part of this application and' wherein like numer'als are employed to designate like parts throughout the same, y

Fig. l-is an elevation of apparatus proe videdby the present invention, 7

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section talen substantiallyon line 2-2 of ig. 1, an i i Fig. 3 is-a section taken line 33 of Fig. 2. Although the present invention has been illustrated andwill be hereinafter described in connection with 'a Colburn machine for drawing-sheet glass, .yet'it isto be understood substantially on that it is not limited to use in such connection 1 but may beeniployed to advantage in various other types of sheetglass forming machines.

" In the Colburn machine, however, a glass sheet 5-is drawn upwardly'in fiat sheet form from a bath of molten glass 6 contained in a working receptacle or drawpot 7', the glass being preferably supplied to the receptacle from* a suitable continuous tank furnace. Knurled edge engaging rollers 8 are also preferably provided to maintain the sheet to width and are arranged closelyadjacentthe meniscus 9. The sheet 5 is drawn m a vertical plane for a suitable distance, after which itiis passed over a bending member or roll 10'to deflectthe sheet from thevertical into a horizontal plane. The sheet then passes horizontally overthe bending roll 10=and idler rollll on through a combined drawing and flattening mechanism an annealingleen, U 1 r I The-bending roll 101 is mounted to" freely rotate with the sh-eet5 and is driven thereby so that itwill rotateat the same speed as the draw of the sheet to prevent relative movement 'therebetween. The idler roll 11 is (not shown) into adapted to support the sheet between the bending roll "10 and the drawing andflattening mechanism and, although this roll is known in the art as an idler roll because of its use, it is nevertheless positively driven;

The bending roll lO'is supported adjacent each end in a bearing. bracket 12 by means of a bearing 13 carried in a cage '14 which includes a rounded portion-l5 seated in a groove 16 formed in the bracket 12'so that the bending roll can automatically align itself. The bearing bracket 12] is preferably pivotally carried at'the lower end, of a vertical hanger rod 17 upon a pin or trunnions 18. A" combined flame andthrustfguard 19is carried by the bending member 10 to protect the bearing 13 and associated parts from the flame and heat used in softening the sheet when it is being deflected over said roll, and which also receives the thrust upon any longitudinal movement of the bending roll within its bearings.

Although the bending roll is preferably mounted to freely rotate with the sheet, it oftentimes will fail to rotate, due to various reasons and, as a consequence, thesheet has separated from its source, thus making it necessary to start a new sheet over again. It is therefore desirable that means be provided for positively rotating the bending roll when the speed thereof drops beneath a certain point. This may be. taken'car'e of automatically, if desired, by the provision of an overrunning or one-way clutch associated with the bending roll as disclosed in the patent to L. D. Blackshereet'ah, No. 1,614,098, issued January 11, 1927, or by the use of a manually operated clutchsuch as illustrated in the drawings. Thus, there is keyed to either one or both ends of bending roll 10 a sleeve 20, and freely mounted upon this sleeve is a sleeve bearing 21 carrying a sprocket 22 and being provided at itsouter end with a series of teeth 23. Slid'ably keyed upon sleeve '20 outwardly of sleeve bearing 21 is a'slidable clutch section 24 provided with teeth 25 adapted toinesh with teeth 23 on bearing sleeve'21. The bearing-sleeve normally rotates freely upon sleeve 20 and the clutch section24 is. maintained out of engagement therewith, However, when the rotation of the bending roll ceases ,or drops beneath a certain predetermined point, an operator can throwthe clutchsection 24 into engagement with bearing sleeve 21, whereuponthe rotation of the spro'cket22 will 'be imparted to thebending roll through clutch section 24.

Trained about the sprocket 22- is a sprocket chain 26 also trained about a sprocket 27 keyed to the corresponding-end of idler :roll 11. This idler roll carries a second sprocket (notshown) about which is :trained sprocket chain 28 driven from a suitable source of power.

As pointed out above, there are certain factors,'such as the bindingof the bendingroll within its'bearings, which sometimes tend to temporarily retard thefree rotationof the said roll by the sheet being drawn and which results. in the bending-roll being rotated in a rather jerky and ununiform fashion. a This is of course an undesirablecondition since it tends-to injuriously affect the proper formation of the sheet. However, according to the present invention,-thisobjectionable feature is avoided by 'the provision of means associatedwith the bending roll and exerting a constant braking or retarding action thereupon. T'o'this end,'there is secured'to sleeve 20by means of bolts-or the l ike 29 a c ollar"-30. Encircling this collar arethe semi-circular set end portions 36, and bearing against the outer side of each of these offset portions is a compression spring 37 tending to normally urge the brake bands inwardly toward one another and into engagement with the collar 30. One end of the compression spring 37 bears against the offset endportion 36 and the opposite end against a cup member 38 which is contained within a housing 39 carried by a. bracket 40 secured to the bearing bracket 12. Passing through the housing 39 is an adjusting element l1, the inner endof which engages cup member 38 so that, upon rotation of the adjusting element 4:1, the force of the springs 37 can be varied to regulate the pressure of the brake bands upon the'collar 31 and consequently the braking or re tarding force exerted upon the bending roll. The resistance offered by thefriction brake just described to the free rotation of bending roll 10 is adapted to be greater than any one or all of those variable factors which might tend'to temporarily retard the rotation thereof, as a result of which the, rotation of the said roll will not be affected thereby or, in fact, by resistance than the brake. The bending roll will therefore be caused to rotate in'a steady, uniform manner at all times. This inven: tion is now in actual use with very satisfactory results.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be takenasthe preferred embodimentof the same, and that various changes in the shape, size andarrangement'of parts maybe resortedto Withoutidepartingfrom the-spirit ofthe'invention or the scope of thesubjoined claims. 7

'Iclaim:

1. In apparatus for formi-ng'sheet glass, freely rotatable means for deflecting a semiplastic sheet of glass from onefplane into another, 'means for rotatably supporting said first-mentioned means, and means associated with said rotatable means for resisting the 1 free rotation thereof. r 1

2. In apparatus for forming sheet glass, a freely rotatable roll for deflecting a semiplastic sheet of glass from one plane into 'another, meansi for rotatably supporting said roll adjacent its opposite. ends, and breaking mean associated with said'roll for'retarding the free rotation thereof. w W

' In apparatus for forming sheetglass, a

freely rotatable roll for deflecting 'a "semi plastic sheet of glass from one plane-into another, means for rotatably supporting said roll adjacent its opposite ends, and a friction brake mounted upon said roll for resisting the free rotationthereof. y

any retarding force offering a less ried by the bearing bracket at the corresponding end of the roll and engaging the opposite ends of the brake bands for normally urging the bands into engagement with said roll, and means for varying the pressure of said spring means upon the brake bands.

Signed at Charleston, in the county of Kanawha and State of West Virginia, this 12th day of November, 1980. v

FRANK J. KINOAID.

from a substantially vertical plane into a substantially horizontal plane, said roll being driven by the sheet passing thereover, means for rotatably supporting said roll adjacent its opposite ends, and braking means associated with the roll for retarding the free rotation thereof.

6. In apparatus for forming sheet glass, means for drawing the sheet upwardly, a freely rotatable roll for deflecting the sheet from a substantially Vertical plane into a substantially horizontal plane, said roll being driven by the sheet passing thereover, means for rotatably supportin said roll adj acent its opposite ends, and a 'riction brake carried by the roll and acting as a yielding holdback to the free rotation thereof.

7. In apparatus for forming sheet glass, means for drawing the sheet upwardly, a freely rotatable roll for deflecting the sheet 7 from a substantially vertical plane into a substantially horizontal plane, bearing brackets for supporting the roll adjacent its opposite ends, braking means including a pair of semis circular brake bands fitting about sa1d roll,

means for connecting the brake bands together, and means for normally urging the brake bands into engagement with the roll.

8. In apparatus for forming sheet glass,

means for drawing the sheet upwardly, a freely rotatable roll for deflecting the sheet from a substantially vertical plane into a substantially horizontal plane, bearing brackets for supporting the roll adjacent its opposite ends, braking means including a pair of semicircular brake bands fitting about said roll, means for connecting the brake bands together, and spring means carried by the bearing bracket at the corresponding end of the roll and engaging the brake bands for normally urging the bands into engagement with said roll.

9. In apparatus for forming sheet glass, means for drawing the sheet upwardly, a freely rotatable roll for deflecting the sheet from a substantially vertical plane into a substantially horizontal plane, bearing brackets for supporting the roll adjacent its opposite ends, braking means including a pair of semi-circular brake bands fitting about the roll, means for connecting the brake bandstog'ether at one end, spring means car- 

